Cover art

From DoomWiki.org

Cover art is the artwork depicted on the cover of a product, including game boxes, CD and DVD jewel cases, and book covers. Every game in the Doom series has its own distinctive cover, as do the various other Doom engine games. The artwork for newer products is usually based on that from previous releases, especially if the newer article is related to the original in content. Each piece of art displays a picture or design, a logo, and various product information. Informational seals and icons are often required by law and will differ between a game's various localizations.

Doom games cover art[edit]

Doom[edit]

The Doom cover art, illustrated by Don Ivan Punchatz, depicts the game's protagonist standing on a ridge in Hell, using a machine gun to fight off devilish monsters with a vague resemblance to the baron of Hell, though many have mechanical parts. One of them is grabbing his left wrist, while another behind is reaching for his right leg. The Doom logo created by Adrian Carmack is shown above and behind the marine. Another marine can be seen in the far left background desperately trying to run to the main character's aid, perhaps a reference to the game's multiplayer capabilities. The game's title screen was directly based on this art, but isolated to the central marine and adding a shotgun to his armaments.

Doom II: Hell on Earth[edit]

The Doom II cover art, illustrated by Gerald Brom, displays the protagonist of the series, here sporting an unusual stylized buzz cut, fighting a cyberdemon using the shotgun in the ruins of a burning city on Earth. The Doom II logo can be seen above and behind the two combatants. The game's manual uses the same art. Its title screen is based on this art, but flipped left to right.

The Ultimate Doom[edit]

The United States release of The Ultimate Doom uses the same artwork as the Doom box cover, but significantly darkened, and with "The Ultimate" text written above the Doom logo. This was the first official Doom package to appear in retail stores, as only the shareware version had previously been available there, with the registered version restricted to mail order direct from id Software.

The United Kingdom release of The Ultimate Doom features entirely new artwork depicting the large face of a red demon similar to the monsters on the original Doom's cover art.

Master Levels for Doom II[edit]

The Master Levels for Doom II cover art shows a grey hellish background with artwork based on the same sketch of tortured, distorted skulls by Adrian Carmack used to create the intermission background for Doom II, the SKINFACE texture, and the Doom II sky texture SKY3. It was later also used for the Collector's Edition cover art.

PlayStation Doom[edit]

The cover art for the Sony PlayStation version of Doom features an all-new drawing of the marine in civilian dress. He is sporting various injuries and standing over a demon carcass, letting loose a point-blank shotgun blast, which strikes a green-colored Imp, killing it horribly. A more minotaur-like baron of Hell is at one side with a lost soul and an opening to a dark, cloudy dimension behind him. The Doom logo is above the top of the picture. This is used in both the original print (packaged in a larger case) and the special edition (packaged in a regular CD case). This artwork was created by illustrator Roger Motzkus.[1] Interestingly, his original art contains a cyberdemon in the background which was removed from the version used for the game's materials.

Final Doom[edit]

The cover art of Final Doom is based on the design of a US military M910 TPDS-T ammunition container, a type of target practice round for the M242 Bushmaster 25 mm autocannon. The container is vertically inverted via its usual orientation, though the design of such containers deliberately allows them to be carried and opened from either end. A simplified version of the Doom logo is written in yellow with addition of the word "Final", and appears within a diamond shape on the center of the upper half of the ammo case where a hazard warning label (such as "explosive" for incendiary rounds, or "radioactive" for armor-piercing depleted uranium slugs) would usually appear.

Sega Saturn Doom[edit]

The Sega Saturn port of Doom features the Doom logo and a depiction of the lost soul on its cover.

Doom 64[edit]

The cover art for Doom 64 features a Demon Key artifact over a black background with the Doom 64 logo above it. A more detailed but cartoonish cover art was planned originally, featuring the marine with a shotgun and pistol fending off multiple demons.

Doom 3[edit]

The cover art of Doom 3 depicts a Hell knight behind the Doom 3 logo, on a field of red with a pentagram design.

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil[edit]

The cover art of Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil depicts the expansion's main boss, the Maledict, beneath the Doom 3 logo and expansion name.

Doom (2016)[edit]

The Doom (2016) cover depicts the Doom Slayer head on holding a super shotgun against a background of yellowish smoke. After heavy criticism online from people believing it looked too "generic" due to depicting a single character, as opposed to the brutal large scenes of the series past, a reversible cover was introduced. It depicts the Slayer in a low part of a mountainous area of hell, on an island in a flaming lake, surrounded from all sides by demons. The skull of a large demon, presumably a Titan can be seen behind him. He is holding an imp by the neck, preparing to shoot it with the super shotgun. This was the primary cover of the Nintendo Switch port.

Doom Eternal[edit]

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The Doom Eternal cover depicts the Slayer in battle, surrounded by demons as he jumps on top of a marauder.

Doom games cover art gallery[edit]

Doom manuals cover art gallery[edit]

Doom merchandise cover art[edit]

Doom novels[edit]

Knee Deep In The Dead[edit]

The cover of the first Doom novel, Knee-Deep In The Dead, features the same painting that was used on the cover of the first Doom game.

The 2005 reprinting depicts the Doom 3 version of the Doom logo, with a horned monster, possibly a baron of Hell.

Hell On Earth[edit]

The cover of the second Doom novel, Hell On Earth, uses the same artwork as Doom II, with minor alterations. It includes the Doom logo instead of the Doom II logo and an added "Hell On Earth" caption.

The 2005 reprinting depicts the Doom 3 version of the Doom logo, with a pair of lost souls.

Infernal Sky[edit]

The cover of the third Doom novel, Infernal Sky, displays a person in a space suit, possibly Flynn Taggart, fighting monsters (which resemble lost souls and a mancubus) in space.

The 2005 reprinting features the Doom 3 version of the Doom logo and a mancubus.

Endgame[edit]

The cover of the fourth Doom novel, Endgame, features a man, likely Flynn Taggart, shooting what appears to be an arch-vile from behind while being attacked by two snake-like creatures.

The 2005 reprinting depicts the Doom 3 version of the Doom logo, with a kneeling person reaching toward and looking upwards.

Doom 3: Worlds on Fire[edit]

The cover of the Doom 3 novel, Doom 3: Worlds on Fire novel, depicts a Hell knight in a red hue along with the Doom 3 logo over it.

Doom 3: Maelstrom[edit]

The cover of the second Doom 3 novel, Doom 3: Maelstrom, depicts the Maledict in a blue hue along with the Doom 3 logo over it.

Unlicensed Hungarian novels[edit]

The cover art for Doom - A pokol kapui was created by Zoltán Boros and Gábor Szikszai, and depicts the book's protagonist Oleg Gontar firing a machine gun. The cover art for Doom - Tisztítótűz shows the sequel's protagonist Captain Andrew Milne firing a pistol.

Doom novels gallery[edit]

Other Doom books[edit]

Doom comic[edit]

The Doom comic cover art displays its protagonist firing a chaingun at a former human, with corpses of dead monsters lying around.

Masters of Doom[edit]

The Masters of Doom cover features a highly pixelated heavy weapon dude in its firing pose with the player firing at it. The book's name and subtitle ("How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture") along with the author's name (David Kushner) are also on the cover.

The authorized Hungarian translation, A Doom legendája, depicts the Doom 3 Hell knight on a black (first volume) or white (second volume) background. The authorized Spanish edition, Maestros del Doom, shows pixel-art portraits of John Romero wielding an axe and John Carmack wielding a sword, with a cacodemon grinning behind them, using a screenshot with the iconic STARTAN walls in the background.

Book cover gallery[edit]

Tabletop games[edit]

Doom: The Boardgame[edit]

The cover of Doom: The Boardgame is a modified version of the Doom 3 cover, with the "3" removed from the logo, the Fantasy Flight Games (the game's publisher) logo on display along with the additional "The Boardgame" subtitle under the modified Doom 3 logo.

Doom: The Boardgame Expansion Set[edit]

The Expansion Set cover displays the protagonist from Resurrection of Evil wielding the Doom 3 super shotgun and The Artifact. It also features the same logos and texts as the main Boardgame cover with the addition of the tagline "Expansion Set".

Doom: The Board Game[edit]

The cover of Doom: The Board Game shows the "Balgaar" cyberdemon behind the flat white Doom (2016) logo.

Tabletop game cover gallery[edit]

Doom films[edit]

Doom movie (2005) poster[edit]

The poster art of the Doom movie features first person perspective of a marine firing at a monster (possibly a Hell knight), along with the movie version of the Doom logo.

Doom movie (2005) DVD[edit]

The cover art of the Doom movie region 1 DVD depicts three space marines (Destroyer, Sarge and Reaper) under the movie's angled version of the Doom logo.

The region 2 DVD displays an unknown monster on a steel door with a red version of the movie's altered Doom logo.

Doom: Annihilation[edit]

The cover art for Doom: Annihilation features the drooling face of a baron of Hell-like creature below the film logo.

Doom film gallery[edit]

Compact Discs for Doom games[edit]

Pre-release versions[edit]

Floppy Disks for Doom games[edit]

Cover art from other games[edit]

Hacx[edit]

The cover of Hacx depicts the game's protagonist fighting a robotic monster, possibly an android.

SIGIL[edit]

Strife[edit]

Strife's cover depicts the Sigil and the Strife logo.

Other games cover art gallery[edit]

Other games manuals cover art gallery[edit]

Other games media[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The cover art of Doom II was parodied in the run and gun platform video game Jazz Jackrabbit 2 in the episode selection screen.
  • In Doom 3, the player will eventually come across several tablets. One of these closely resembles the original Doom cover.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Motzkus, Roger. "Fantasy." The Art of Roger Motzkus (archived 🏛). Retrieved 5 July 2017.